"Heck yeah, as far as what me and my brain are thinking, but I haven't even sat down with my agents yet. We don't even have a number in place. There haven't been any discussions between me and the Red Sox and my agents at all."

Papelbon, who is arbitration-eligible for the second time, is willing to go year-to-year to "do things for my fellow closers." On the other hand, he seems open to a multiyear deal if the price is right. Edes says a two-year, $14.75MM offer from the Red Sox a year ago fell a few hundred thousand short. Turning that down proved wise, as Papelbon set a first-time arb-eligible pitcher record with a $6.25MM salary in '09 and should exceed $9MM this year. He'll be eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

Comments

Watch out Pap… the Red Sox don’t want to pay the luxury tax (just every penny they can right up to the luxury tax. Then they just hope they’ve got a good enough team and keep the rest of their revenue for themselves.)

Papelbon’s big mouth will cause him troubles in the near future. With Bard in the fold, it’s doubtful that the Red Sox will invest 10-11 per year, if not more, for their closer, especially since ( last year ) he lost confidence in his other pitches and become very predictable with his ” heather “… A long term deal is unlikely, IMO.

While a long-term deal is unlikely, I doubt a team like the Red Sox will entrust Bard with the 9th when they could continue to use a guy like Papelbon. It might even be worth “overpaying” Papelbon for a one or two-year deal until Bard–or someone else–proves to a worthy replacement.

Interesting thought. Paplebon says he wants to do things for his fellow closers- but will that eventually hurt them? Valverde was looking for big money, isnt going to happen. Soriano wanted big money, took arbitration instead; and there are plenty of closers available for trade- but teams arent giving up guys to get them.
Sox and other big market clubs are able to go year-to-year with them and give them raises; smaller market teams would like to give extensions, but dont want to tie that much money up in the closer role, but cant pay a guy through arbitration. So you might see guys start to get cut loose and just have to take 1 year deals in FA

His whole deal with money originates from when the Sox asked him to move to the bullpen. He was fine with the move away from starting, but didn’t want it to negatively impact him financially in the future (starters typically get paid more than relievers). That being said, he isn’t Rivera.

Yeah, just look at what a guys like Jason Marquis, Carlos Silva, etc have been paid in his career. And you cant blame him, most closers burn out quickly- there is no 100m contract waiting for him, so he should go the path that banks him the most money.
No one is Rivera, it’s not fair to compare anyone to him. You can even make the argument that he’s overpaid; but I’d rather overpay him and have him in the 9th than have someone at half his salary and be half as good.

The other thing is, what’s Boston’s alternative to paying him that much? They can release him, but then they’re out a closer and it saves them nothing but money. They can trade him, but only to a team willing to pay him $20 million plus over the next two years.

Technically they could make Bard the closer, which would decrease Papelbon’s arb value for 2011. Pretty classless move, though, and sure to be a huge PR backfire.

Good on Paps to be trying to raise the salary of arbitration-eligible closers. I’m all for taking money out of the owner’s pockets and giving it to the guys who actually play the game.

On the other hand, it seems like arbitration values for closers are actually surpassing the FA market price for them, in this depressed market. Could lead to some weird moves in the future, like teams releasing homegrown closers en masse.

Papelbon will pitch in Boston is 2010 but certainly not in 2011. Bard showed a lot of good things in 2009 and with another year in the major, he should be ready to go… Papelbon is getting on Sox brass nerves for sure…

If Paps wasn’t an athlete, he would have been the mouthy kid getting his rear end kick all over the school yards. That, along with the fact he’d be paying for chicks, not getting at will as a ball player!

I don’t get how an arbitration eligible closer gets paid more than every free agent closer that was on the market. Yeah, Papelbon is a youngster, but eddie
I thought arbitration was supposed to save a team money.

Why are people hating on Papelbon? Because someone asked him if he could make $10 million in 2010 and he said, “Heck yeah!”? Was it… the “heck”? Do people really think that instead of Papelbon making $10 million, he should play for less and give Larry Lucchino more money?

I can only speak for myself, but him wanting 10 mill or saying “heck ya” when asked about maybe getting 10 mill has nothing to do with why I can’t stand this clown. He is a mouthy annoying arrogant creep. IMO.That being said, like the the above post says, he should get as much loot as he can. Better the performers than the bosses…again, my opinion.

Man, you guys really drink from the teet of the Red Sox Kool Aid machine. I forgot to read where it’s written that if you wear a Red Sox uniform you’re supposed to leave money on the table and do it for less so ownership makes more profits.

I hate how fans inadvertently root for the owners when the players ask for the money they deserve. It’s not your money they’re spending. You think if they get Pap on the cheap John Henry is going to cut ticket and concession prices?

I hear you, but also it IS kind of the fans’ money that the owners are using. It’s the fans who buy the tickets, merch, concessions, etc. While Henry and Lucchino aren’t going to CUT ticket prices if they get Papelbon on the cheap, they’ve certainly proved that they’re willing to consistently RAISE those prices every year.

All of this points less to holding money back from players and more to demanding financial transparency from ownership. I used to be able to get to a couple of Sox games a season when I lived in Boston, but the last few years have gotten way too expensive.

This is why I would have preferred to use Pap as trade bait this off season. Keeping Wagner as the closer with Bard as his understudy. Wagner proved he could still close out games so a 2 year deal to him would have been a great bridge to Bard and Pap and his mouth could go elsewhere.

There wasn’t and still is not and likely will not be a single team in the league that would take a trade for him. $10mm + for a guy that get’s lit up and has a bad attitude. I’d rather bunk with Milton Bradley.

Lit up? I hate the Red Sox as much as anyone, but come on. He just sported an ERA under 2 in 2009. His career WHIP is under 1. He strikes out more than a batter per inning.

He has shown some regression but not enough to justify this hate. The guy can deal. The fact that he is doing it only with a heater makes it more impressive.

And why is it OK to slam Paps for just throwing a great fastball and then turn around a praise Rivera for throwing only a cutter? Granted I will take Rivera’s cutter over Paps’ fastball. Still the principle is the same. Both guys have a dominant one pitch and rarely use their secondary stuff.

people are so sensitive lol over the smallest reactions its hilarious, if anyone says anything non cliche then its like HES A CLOWN or hes a LOUD MOUTH, like everyone needs to stop being so SERIOUS, loosen up.

thank you! i completely agree 100%! i love Papelbon’s press conferences & interviews because he’s such a character that you don’t know what he’s going to say next! You have to give him credit, can you do an Irish tap dance to I’m Shipping Up To Boston in front of 35,000 fans, in your UnderArmour & sliding shorts & covered in champagne? Come on guys, loosen up! Give him credit!

Watch out Pap… the Red Sox don’t want to pay the luxury tax (just every penny they can right up to the luxury tax. Then they just hope they’ve got a good enough team and keep the rest of their revenue for themselves.)

I really hope Rivera really does pitch another five years, as it seems the Yankees are the only team out there that would be willing to meet Papelbon’s ridiculous demands. Sure, I guess he could wind up with the Mets, as K-Rod is also a free agent at the same time.

Guy is truly a saint wanting to look out for his fellow closers. I’m sure Jonathan Broxton and Joakim Soria have already called to express their gratitude.

This guy doesn’t know what class is. I’ll still can’t get over his comparison to himself to MO Rivera as being one of the greats, if not better. This guy is a tool, perfect chemistry for the $180mm Red Sox. He’s just publicly annouced a robbery. Not only do the Red Sox not have a guy who can hit more 25 homeruns or more than 100rbi (not a single person on the team may break either category) they have an incredibly week bullpen, and a grossly overpaid rotation.

The Sox are toast this season. Mark my word, in fact I’m willing to take bets.

If you think the second list is worth more than the first list, and worth so much more than the first list that a 95 win team is going to lose 8 more games and miss the wild card, well… if I can’t say anything nice, I won’t say anything at all, sir.

Ortiz, Youkilis, Martinez, Drew, and in that park, even Beltre are all candidates for 25 home runs, and I highly doubt the Red Sox are done making moves.

As for their rotation, who cares if they are “overpaid”? Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Dice-K, and Buchholz is deep and very good. “Weak” bullpen? Is that the same one that finished second in the AL last year in reliever ERA or are you referring to another Boston bullpen?

i listened to the Epstein interview on the podcast from the radio today & he said that right now they have i believe 8 players that have had a season of 25 HRs &/or 100 RBIs (Drew, Cameron (i think), Lowell, Pedroia (i believe), Youkilis, Martinez, Ortiz, & now Beltre)

I wish they had traded him when they had the chance this winter. I would’ve traded him for 1 A prospect and 1-2 B prospects that have good upside. Somebody like the Cubs or Tigers or whatever team is desperate for a closer would’ve taken him and given that much up. Am I wrong?